What are the profound origins of the political events shaking up Polish society today, with repercussions all over Europe: rejection of migrants, controversial draft Holocaust Law, legislation restricting independence of the courts, attempt to ban abortion altogether… to mention only what has received the most media coverage in France? And finally, what can explain the causes of the recent anti-European about-face of the country once known as ‘best in the class’ in the European Union?

The purpose of this collective work is to provide a nuanced personal in-depth view of contemporary Poland through its culture, presented here as a series of ways of thinking, feeling and acting specific to a given society. The topical events of recent years are highlighted within a complex network of historical narratives and omissions, trauma and repression; they are confronted with existing cultural models, plunged in the collective imagination, offset by humour or distorted by stereotypes.